Tapping the parents

Herring gulls are nesting on Anglesea. They have just been added to the Red Data list, because of their decline in numbers. A chick taps at the red spot on the beak of an adult to tell it to regurgitate food. They look after their young very well, but they are vulnerable to attack from the air, particularly from black-backed gulls - which is why the herring gulls mob them at every opportunity. Whilst there are two adult herring gulls in attendance at the nest it isn't likely that the chicks will be attacked.